The list of academic options at Oakland University is constantly
growing. OU currently offers more than 120 undergraduate degrees
and more than 120 graduate and certificate options. Students have
the opportunity to participate in high-level research as early as
their freshman year.

From important registration reminders to daily events, stay focused on the
finish line while getting the most out of your educational experience.
More than 200 active student organizations take learning to a new level,
while student service offices are here to help you succeed.

Over 100,000 alumni proudly call OU their alma mater. Upon graduation, you will
automatically be welcomed as a member of Oakland University's very active Alumni
Association. Alumni stay connected through networking, volunteering and mentorship
programs.

Nearly half a million people visit campus each year to explore OU's cultural icons,
such as the home to OU's founder, our very own National Historic Landmark. Be
inspired by guest speakers from around the world, or awed by artwork, student,
faculty and guest performances.

Your gift matters! Contributions from alumni and friends create
opportunities that prepare Oakland University students to be leaders.
Support the OU Fund (the area of greatest need), scholarships, athletics,
the library, Meadow Brook Hall, or one of the hundreds of other areas that
make Oakland unique.

The Grizzlies' growing Division I athletics program is a member of the Horizon
League, one of the NCAA's top performing leagues. Athletes can also be found in
dozens of club and intramural sports, or playing recreational games of disc or
ball golf on one of OU's courses.

News Archive

Members of Oakland University's charter class head to the first-ever commencement ceremony in 1963.

It's been 50 years since members of Oakland University's charter class donned their caps and gowns for the school's first commencement exercises.

To mark the occasion, plans are underway for a special reunion featuring a campus tour, presentations from university leaders and lunch with charter class faculty. The event is set for Friday, Sept. 13, through Saturday, Sept. 14, on Oakland’s campus.

Attendees will enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at Meadow Brook Hall, visit the university archives and tour historic landmarks nestled amid modern additions – like the Human Health Building – that have enriched campus life for Oakland's nearly 20,000 current students. They will also have the opportunity to preserve memories in an oral history recording that will be added to the university archives.

The much-anticipated event promises to deliver loads of grizzly spirit as charter alumni catch up with classmates and reminisce about old times. Charter graduate Mary Jo Koren Ahern, who is part of the reunion committee, said she is looking forward to the event.

“It’s always a lot of fun to get together with classmates,” said Ahern, who served as a tour guide during the first orientation session, when the school was known as Michigan State University-Oakland. “Since there weren’t that many of us, we were a very close-knit group. The students and professors all knew each other and there were only two buildings, North and South Foundation Hall.”

Since graduating, Ahern has maintained strong ties to her alma mater. She resides in the Rochester area and both her children graduated from OU and met their spouses on campus. Her daughter was married at Meadow Brook Hall.

“Living so close to campus, we’ve been able to see all the progress the university has made over the years,” Ahern added. “I’m really excited to see everyone from our class.”

During the reunion, university leaders will host a series of engaging talks on topics such as health and wellness, lifelong learning, American Society in the 1960's and medical school.

Guest speakers include Geoffrey Upward, executive director of Meadow Brook Hall; Madelyn Rzadkowolski, curator of Meadow Brook Hall; Graeme Harper, dean of the Honors College; Kenneth Hightower, dean of the School of Health Sciences; Robert Noiva, associate dean for medical education and associate professor of biomedical sciences for the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine; and Graham Cassano, assistant professor of sociology.

Registration for the reunion is currently underway. For more information, contact Erin Sudrovech in the Office of Alumni Engagement at (248) 364-6136 or sudrovec@oakland.edu. View the Charter Class Reunion website at oualumni.com/charterclass.